Collapsible stepladder



L. SIMONICH July 24, 1923, 1,463,023

COLLAPSIBLE STEPLADDER Filed Dec. 19. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 24, 1923.

UITE

i LOUIS SIMONICH, OF LANSE, MICHIGAN.

COLLAPSIBLE STEPLADDER.

Application filed December 19,1922. Serial No. 607,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS SIMONICH, a

citizen of the United States of America, re,-

siding at LAnse, in the county of Baraga and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in C01- lapsible Stepladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in collapsible step ladders wherein the device rigidly set up in step ladder formation may be collapsed and moved upon hinge connections between sections thereof to provide a support for a table top, or be suspended in the form of a bench or swing.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with a collapsible step ladder wherein connected side rails are pivoted together at their upper ends, a novel type of brace for holdingthe side bars in spaced relation and rigidly dis-posed relative to each other.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of ,the invention is better understood, the same consists of the novel form combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a collapsible step ladder in its set-up position, and constructed in accordance with'the pres ent invention, 1

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the device,

Figure 3 is a rear elevational View,

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 1 showing the tensioned spacer detachably connected to the hinge members carried by adjacent ends of the side bar sections of the latter,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the tensioned spacer indicating by arrow lines the direction in which the legs of the spacer are moved for placing the same under tension,

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the ladder collapsed and horizontally disposed for supporting a table top,

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the ladder in partly collapsed form and suspended as a swing from a housing structure,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective from the latter construction.

View showing the connection between one arm of the tens10ned spacer and the hlnge sections carried by adjacent ends of side.

bars, and Figure '9 is a detail sectional view taken on line IXIX of Fig. 7 showingthe piv' otal strap connection between adjacent, ends;

of the hinged sections.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Figs.

1 to 5, and 8, wherein the device is illustrated has as set up in its step ladder formation, the

device embodies a front frame including' spaced upper side bars 1 and spaced lower side bars 2 pivotally connected at their meeting ends in a manner to be hereinafter described. The side bars 1 and 2 are connected by steps 3.

' The rear frame of the ladder construction embodies spaced upper side bars 4. and

spaced lower side bars 5 pivotally connected at their adjacent ends while spacing rods 6 extend between the side bars 4 and 5 at the upper and lower endsthereof.

The upper ends of the side bars 1 and 4 are hingedly connected as at 7 while the outer upper edge of each of saidbars 1 and 4 carries a strap bearing 8 that has alined therewith strap bearings 9 depending from alined with a barrel 14: carried by a hinge plate 15 fixed to the inner face of the upper, end ofeach lower side bar. A tensioned spacer formed of a pair of resilient bar or wire members has said members twisted together intermediate their ends as at 16 and bent at angles to the twisted portion to provide extension legs 17 having bent ends 18, the tensioned spacer normally assuming the position as shown in Fig. 5 when disengaged The legs 17 and bent ends 18 of the spacer member are moved toward each other at opposite ends thereof against the resiliency to position the bent ends 18 for reception in the alined barrels 13 and 14 of the hinge plates 12 and 15 as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, resiliency of the spacer member maintaining the bent ends 7 thereof to receive the pins 22 carried'by the lower ends of the upper side bars 1' and 4- have side notches 21 adjacent the lower ends upper ends of .thelower side bars 2 and 5.

When the device is to be used as a support, for'at a-ble top," the top plate 'or rest 10 is removed from 'theu'pper side bars 1 and 4t by disengaging the rods 11 from the bearings Sand 9, the tensioned spacer being removed from the hinge plates 12 and 15 and relatively short pins "18 substituted there for in the barrels l3 and 14; the several side "bar's'being shifted to provide a rectangular configuration as illustrated in Fig. 6 upon which a table top may be conveniently sup-' ported.

Tn converting the device. into a bench or "swing formation, the top plate 10 and the tensioned spacer are removed from the ladder construction, the hinge pins 18 being substituted "in the barrels 13 and 14 while bracing plates 23 of the type best illustrated "in Fig. 9are employed for connecting the adjacent hinged ends of the side bars and preventing relative movement thereof. Each plate orstrap 23 is anchored to the euter faces of the adjacent ends of the side bars by screws 24, the outer endsofthe lower side bars 2 and 5 being suspended by chains 1 depending from a rafter 26 a part of a housing structure 27.

From the above detail description of the device, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, as well as the many uses for which the device may" be employed and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present IIIVGDtiOIiflt lS nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made th ereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof as claimed. I

What 11s claimed as new is In a collapsible step ladder, front and rear. frame structures embodying side bars hingedly connected at their uppe1' ,ends,

top plate removably secured to the lipper" ends of the side bars, a tensioned spacer removably positioned between the front and rear frames; the side bars, each b eingformed of upper and lowersec'tions hinged at adjacent ends, cooperating means carried by the sections for maintaining alinement thereof the hinge connection between the sections including a hinge plate carried by the adjacent ends of eachlsection, and a barQ rel carried by each hinge plateadapted ,to receive an end of the tensioned spacer. y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LOUIS srnoiucn. 

